When AI Gets It Wrong: Lessons from Mazaheri v Law Society of Ontario

In this short piece for The Litigator, author Meganne Fletcher takes a look at the case of Mazaheri v Law Society of Ontario, 2025 ONLSTH 186, which serves as a cautionary tale about relying on AI tools in legal practice. After receiving an interlocutory suspension for being wilfully blind to client fraud, Mazaheri brought a motion to vary the suspension and was directed to file proper legal documents. Instead of complying, he filed additional materials drafted with generative AI assistance, none of which contained reliable legal authorities and all of which contained numerous “hallucinations”—non-existent or misleading case citations.

At a case management conference, the LSO presented a 15-page chart identifying the hallucinations in Mazaheri’s submissions. Mazaheri admitted to using generative AI and undertook not to use such tools in the future, though the consequences of his conduct remain to be determined. His admissibility and bias motion were dismissed, with costs to be decided later.

The author concludes that while AI can promote access to justice and many users report positive experiences, this case demonstrates that diligent review and independent verification of AI-generated content are critical to the administration of justice. In an era of rapid technological advancement and pervasive AI use, it’s essential to remember that both humans and AI are subject to error, and lawyers and critical review of legal authorities remain irreplaceable…

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